Aberdeen edges out West Point, 86-83

January 16, 2012

By

Dan Hawthorne

ABERDEEN - West Point had four players finish in double figures Saturday, and despite a tough effort the second time around, Aberdeen still came out on top, 86-83.
“We did a lot of things very well,” head coach Brad Cox said.
The Green Wave (8-12, 1-1) were solid at the line, shooting 23-of-28 and had only 14 turnovers which Cox said was remarkable for a high school game considering Aberdeen was pressing on almost every possession.
The Green Wave didn’t have the same slow start and were able to overcome an early six point deficit after the opening quarter to keep the Bulldogs on their toes as the first half was winding down.
West Point scored 18-points, but still trailed by seven at the break.
Cox called a timeout in the third quarter with his team trailing 13-points.
“I told them we just needed one stop and then score,” he said. “The boys never panicked and no one tried to be the hero. We played together and just continued to play our game.”
The shootout continued in the second half as both teams were hot out of the gates. The Green Wave grabbed a 23-22 edge on the third and outscored the Bulldogs 26-23.
Three starters had fouled out by late in the fourth quarter for West Point, who were down by two with 30 seconds to play and had possession. Unfortunately, they couldn’t capitalize and were forced to forced to foul, sending the Bulldogs to the line where they iced the game.
Daryl Thomas led the team with 20-points while Laquante Gaston had 15 and 10 rebounds. Cortez Malone also finished with 15-points and eight assists. Keon McKinney also had double figures with 12.
“I was extremely proud of the way they played,” said Cox. “To have a chance to win the ball game at Aberdeen and in a tough place to play. To go on the road and play like that, it’s very positive.”
West Point will host Starkville on Tuesday. It will be the third time this season the two teams have met.
“We know what to expect from them and we know what we have to do to play with them,” Cox said. “We have to rebound the basketball and make sure we don’t give them any easy ones.”

Girls: West Point 38-35 Aberdeen

West Point earned a tough non-district win on the road Saturday with a win over Aberdeen.
With an almost packed house in the gym, the Green Wave were able to keep their cool and earn a win before hitting the road this week at Oxford for a district tilt.
“We didn’t play very well,” head coach Murry Woody said but we played good enough to win. “It was a good road environment and I knew it was going to be a close game.”
Wilma Davis finished with a team-high 13-points while Nakeisha Walker contributed with 12 in the win.
The girls host Starkville once again Tuesday as West Point looks to get a win on the third try. Woody knows it won’t be easy.
“We’re going to have to a better job executing on offense and defensively,” he said. “We are past the point of learning new stuff and putting stuff in. If we can implement the things we’re doing in practice into a game, we’ll be fine.”